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Socially anxiety may be related to a different pattern of facial mimicry and contagion of others’ emotions. We report two studies in which participants with different levels of social anxiety reacted to others’ emotional displays, either shown on a computer screen (Study 1) or in an actual social interaction (Study 2). Study 1 examined facial mimicry and emotional contagion in response to displays of happiness, anger, fear, and contempt. Participants mimicked negative and positive emotions to some extent, but we found no relation between mimicry and the social anxiety level of the participants. Furthermore, socially anxious individuals were more prone to experience negative emotions and felt more irritated in response to negative emotion displays. In Study 2, we found that social anxiety was related to enhanced mimicry of smiling, but this was only the case for polite smiles and not for enjoyment smiles. These results suggest that socially anxious individuals tend to catch negative emotions from others, but suppress their expression by mimicking positive displays. This may be explained by the tendency of socially anxious individuals to avoid conflict or rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines two mechanisms that might explain why blushing-fearful individuals fear blushing: Judgmental biases for blushing in ordinary social situations that usually do not elicit a blush, and negative conditional cognitions about blushing irrespective of situation. A web-based self-report measure, linked to a German internet forum for people with fear of blushing, was completed by a group of high blushing-fearful participants ( n = 155) and a low fear group ( n = 61). Supporting the idea that cognitive biases are involved in fear of blushing, blushing-fearful participants showed inflated estimates of both the probability and the costs of blushing in these situations. In addition, blushing-fearful individuals were characterized by relatively negative conditional cognitions about blushing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explain blushing phobics’ fearful preoccupation with blushing, this study investigated the anticipated consequences of blushing when considering the interpersonal influences of displaying a blush. Using a vignette study approach, participants ( N = 48, mean age 20.47, and SD 4.44) with variable levels of fear of blushing were instructed to imagine that they did or did not blush in several situations, and were asked to indicate their expectations of an observer’s judgment. Irrespective of their fear of blushing, participants generally attributed negative effects to their blush in these situations. This finding sustains the idea that people dislike blushing due to the anticipated influence of the blush on other’s judgments about the self, but does not support the idea that fear of blushing is fueled by an overestimation of these negative effects of blushing. Meanwhile, high-fearfuls did report a relatively high-subjective probability of displaying a blush in these situations. Expecting to blush in situations in which people generally anticipate that blushing elicits a negative observer’s judgment, may well contribute to blushing fearfuls’ preoccupation with blushing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explain blushing phobics’ fearful preoccupation with blushing, this study investigated the anticipated consequences of displaying a blush on others’ judgements of the self and of the incident. We tested whether especially in the context of ambiguous situations that may be interpreted as a transgression, individuals would expect negative consequences of their blushing, and whether this effect is most pronounced in relatively high blushing fearful individuals. Using a vignette approach, participants ( N = 36) with variable levels of blushing fear were instructed to imagine that they did or did not started blushing (i) after a mishap and (ii) in situations that are more ambiguous in their meaning. Independent of situation, participants indicated to expect a positive rather than a negative influence of blushing on others’ judgements of the self and of the incident. Unexpectedly, this pattern was even most pronounced in relatively fearful individuals. The results are in conflict with the idea that fear of blushing is fuelled by overestimating the undesirable communicative effects of blushing in ambiguous situations. In addition, the results seem to imply that different processes are involved in judging blushing others and judging other’s views of themselves when displaying a blush. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]